Will spare no one if minorities are attacked, warns Bangladesh’s interim govt

Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain says there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred in the country

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s newly-appointed Home Affairs Ministry adviser has vowed to take swift legal action against those who attack or abuse minorities, stressing that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred in the country.

Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain’s assurance came during a meeting with a delegation from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh at his office in the Secretariat on Thursday, the ‘Dhaka Tribune’ newspaper reported.

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Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of Hindu communities following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

Hussain emphasised that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony, where people of all religions have grown up together without any divisions. He said that no one would be spared if they attacked or abused minorities, and swift legal action would be taken.

He said that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred and that the country believes in peace. During the meeting, Satyaranjan Baroi, president of ISKCON Bangladesh, requested the adviser to take priority measures for the safety of minorities and presented eight proposals for ensuring their safety, including enacting laws, establishing monitoring cells, forming a Minority Commission and providing continuous state security for temples.

The adviser assured his full support for these matters. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that the minority community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 and termed it as an “assault on the Hindu religion.”

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus who is heading the interim government on Tuesday reached out to the distressed Hindu community and urged them to “exercise patience” and assured them that his government would punish those who attacked the minority members. On Monday, Hossain’s Ministry set up a hotline asking people to provide information about attacks on temples, churches or any other religious institutions.